


Grey's Amendments

by megkat



Category: Grey's Anatomy
Genre: F/M, Law School, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-25
Updated: 2016-07-06
Packaged: 2018-06-10 13:50:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,839
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6959239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/megkat/pseuds/megkat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Law school au (but I have it all planned out after law school)</p>
<p>Jackson Avery and April Kepner are about to start their first year of law school at Seattle Grace University. Encountering their fellow students Meredith Grey, Cristina Yang, Alex Karev, George O'Malley, and Izzie Stevens, they are about to be confronted with the fact that law school isn't as easy as they hoped. From scary professors, competitive students, family pressure, and relationship strife, they will all have to fight for their goals and for each other. </p>
<p>Japril focus, but will heavily feature other characters and ships.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**9:30 AM, August 25th**

_ You are the future of law. _

_ Only you can keep you down. _

"You're still writing in that thing? I mean, even beyond the fact that you've had it since freshman orientation- April, you need to go digital," Jackson says, sliding in the seat next to hers. April quickly slams her red notebook shut, because even though she and Jackson are friends, are close, she'd probably die- just absolutely, without a doubt, expire on the spot if anyone read it, including him. Jackson is wearing a tie that is perfectly tied, and his sleeves are rolled up casually, showing his strong forearms corded with muscle. April could calculate the amount of time other guys would have to spend to look oh so carefully, only slightly disheveled, but Jackson? He didn't have to try.  It just came naturally to him. Jackson is just so utterly born for this environment it kind of makes April sick.

 

They were waiting for the opening remarks from the Dean of Seattle Grace University’s School of Law. Richard Webber was due to speak for their first day of orientation, and April? Well, April for one could not be more nervous. She fidgets with the side of her messenger bag. What if she gets cold-called on the first day? What if the professors hate her? What if she fails her classes? What if-

"April, stop. Calm down, I can hear your gears cranking," Jackson says, slouching in his seat.

 

"How can I stop? This is our first day of law school, Jackson. Our very first day of law school. Today sets the tone for our first semester, then 1L, and  _ you know _ how hard first year is, and that affects which internships or clerkships we get, which will undoubtedly shape our careers-“

A woman with curly black hair had just sat in the seat in front of them, next to a tall blonde and a shorter, dark-haired guy, but now she turns around with a sneer. “Are you going to be like this all day? Because I’ll move.”

 

“Nah, she usually loses steam eventually,” Jackson says conversationally, shrugging. April narrows her eyes at him. “I’m Jackson, by the way,” he says, reaching his hand out. April knows him well enough by now to know that he purposefully didn’t include his last name. The other woman examines his hand, pursing her lips. 

 

“Cristina. Yang.” She finally says, turning to face forward once again, without shaking his hand. 

 

“Ignore Cristina. She’s… well, she’s usually like this, so I don’t know what I was going to say. I’m Izzie Stevens,” the blonde says, reaching back to shake Jackson’s hand. “And this is George O’Malley.” The dark haired guy gives a slight wave before turning to his friends. 

 

“I’m April. April Kepner!” April says brightly, smiling at them. There’s a moment of silence before Izzie faces Cristina.   
  


“Where’s Mer?” 

 

“Mer will be here. She’s running late, but she will be here,” Cristina says tersely. The group continues talking in low tones, and so April turns back to Jackson.

 

“You know, people are going to find out eventually what your last name is, who your family is,” April whispers to Jackson, and he nudges her. 

 

“Be quiet. And even when they do find out my last name, Avery isn’t that uncommon of a surname.”

 

“Whatever you say…” April says while Jackson rolls his eyes.  

 

A slim blonde woman quickly scurried down the aisle, joining the group in front of them. “I’m late, ok, I know,” she says, sitting in her seat while blowing a puff of air to move her bangs out of her face.

 

“Was it that guy from last night?” Cristina asks Meredith in an aside, but Meredith brushes her off. 

 

“And where’s Alex?” Izzie asks, looking back towards the doors, a concerned look on her pretty face. 

 

A distinguished older black man takes the stage in front of them. Everyone murmurs in anticipation before quieting down. 

 

“Good morning. My name is Richard Webber, and I am the Dean of Seattle Grace Law. Look around you. The peers on either side of you will be your competition. You will spend more time with them than with your friends, your family. You will be pushed to the breaking point. The three years you spend here at Seattle Grace Law will be among the best and worst years of your life. Some of you will not be able to handle the curriculum, some of you will not be able to handle the pressure, and some of you will drop out of the program. For the rest of you,” Webber pauses for a moment, looking around the auditorium. “Expect challenges, both in the classroom and outside of it. You are some of the nation’s best and brightest. Expect to be confronted with thoughts and viewpoints different than your own. But most of all… expect greatness.” April bursts out in applause immediately, and while there are a few laughs, the excitement is contagious, and soon everyone is applauding as well. April rarely is the one to set a trend, so she figures she should enjoy it while it lasts. 

 

“We’re going to do this… me and you,” Jackson says, glancing over at April. April smiles in return. 

 

“Yeah, me and you.” She had been relieved when she heard that Jackson had also decided to attend Seattle Grace Law, and even more relieved when she discovered they were going to be in the same section. April knew that each section in the same year would share all of their 1L classes together, and, well, it was going to be nice having a familiar face in them, and not just a familiar face, but a friend. 

 

She had first met Jackson on freshman move-in day back when they were undergraduates. April was carrying a heavy box into her dorm, and Jackson had been standing near the door. A pretty older woman was hovering near him, kissing his cheeks as he tried to escape her grip. "Mom, I'm fine. Seriously, please, just go. Ok?"

“No, not ok! My baby’s going off to college, this is a big deal!” the woman had continued. Jackson had shifted awkwardly before he lit up at the sight of April walking towards the door.

“Mom, I gotta help this girl move in. I mean, you did raise me to be a gentleman, right? Carry stuff, open doors?” Jackson had said with a cheeky smile, before he turned to April, trying to take her box out of her hands.

 

“Let go!” April said fiercely, her fingers clenched tightly around her stuff.

“Let. Me. Help. You!” Jackson said with a pained smile. They continue their tug of war for a minute before April gives up.

“Oh, fine.”

Triumphant, Jackson turned with the box and gestured to his mother. “See? I’m a gentleman.”

“Oh, alright,” Catherine says indulgently. “Meet me back at my hotel, okay dear?”

“Of course, Mom,” he says, looking around surreptitiously, before uttering in a low voice. “Love you.”

“Love you too.” And with that, Jackson and April were alone.

 

“So! Thanks for that. Do you want me to carry this to your room?” April blushes slightly, and she really hopes it’s not noticeable. She doesn’t often have gorgeous guys offering to carry her stuff for her… or well, she doesn’t have any guys offering to carry her stuff.

“Sure…” April says, hesitantly, walking forward. “I’m in 220.”

Jackson had turned to her, smiling. “I’m in 226, just down the hall.”

 

“Oh! That’s cool, hopefully our floor won’t be too loud, because I really want to keep my GPA up, because I’m thinking about going to law school, or maybe med school, but I haven’t decided yet.” Also, she needed to make sure she kept her scholarship money, but April wasn’t going to mention that. Jackson nods, looking slightly like he regretted engaging in conversation at all. As they had turned their corner, they saw their respective roommates chatting. 

Even though April and Jackson had met first, Reed and Charles were the ones who became friends (at first). Reed was vivacious, and April was perky and awkward, but eventually, somehow, they became friends as well. Reed had found a core group that included Jackson, Charles, and a few others, but April was not included in that. She had spent the first two months of college studying fervently, both in the library and at her dorm. One night, near Halloween, Reed had come late home after going bar hopping with Charles, Jackson, and the others. April had taken care of her once she returned. She had held Reed's long hair back as she vomited in a trash can, shifting Reed on her side so she wouldn’t choke, and April checked her breathing throughout the night.

 

While Reed ultimately only had vague memories of that night, in the morning, she made two decisions. She had declared, in the midst of her hangover that 1. she was going to get a pixie cut (it was just practical) and 2. she was going to be April Kepner's friend. It turned out, vomit could be quite a bonding experience. It was with that they became friends, and April was slowly but surely integrated with the rest of the group. While Reed and April had randomly been assigned as roommates, after graduation, they chose to remain as such, and Charles and Jackson did as well. April did Teach for America for two years, before finding a job as a paralegal at the Mercy West law firm. Reed jumped straight into med school, and Charles decided to try and pursue a career in architecture. Jackson, meanwhile, accepted employment as a research analyst for a prestigious thinktank. And now… here they are, about to start their first year of law school.

  
And as April had no way of knowing then, at that moment in time, of the tumult and chaos that would occur in the years to come, or of the heartbreak and tragedy, she just sat in her chair next to Jackson, brimming with excitement. 


	2. Chapter 2

12:30 PM, August 27th

April sat at the banquet table drumming her fingers along the tablecloth as she pored over the orientation materials. She and Jackson were joined by that group of four from the opening convocation, as well as an attractive guy- well, attractive in that frat boy way. He'd probably been in a frat, April thinks for a moment, before shaking her head and looking down once again at their introductory packet. Flipping papers over, occasionally one would fall over onto Jackson's empty plate, but he just patiently moves it aside. They were all going to be in the same section, and so were placed at the same table for their welcoming lunch.

"So we have Contracts with Baylow, Torts with Nelson…" April begins, scanning the list.

"And we have Civil Procedure with Bailey," George finishes helpfully, and April smiles up at him. She thinks she's going to like him. He'd been polite and helpful throughout the morning, and while it was obvious just from the couple of hours they had spent together that he had a giant crush on Meredith Grey, April appreciated his company already.

"And both our Legal Methods and Legal Practice Workshop professors are still TBD. TBD! How can that not be determined yet?" April questions anxiously.

"Man, Webber needs to get his shit together," the frat guy who turned out to be named Alex scoffs.

"He's fine. Webber's fine, and his shit is together," Meredith speaks up, slightly scowling. Jackson raises his eyebrows. "Do you know each other? I didn't realize you two were so close," he jokes, tilting his head and chuckling.

"We're not close. We're not," Meredith responds, exchanging a careful glance with Cristina. "He and my mom both went to Seattle Grace Law, and they worked together on a few medical malpractice suits ages ago. He's an old family friend," she finally states diplomatically, but with enough of an edge to her voice that even April can tell there's more to the story. Their food arrives, so April quickly put her papers away as they begin to eat, explaining their stories to one another.

Meredith is in the middle of telling them why her going to law school is so defiant when Jackson interjects. "You're a law student. You're going to be a lawyer. That's not exactly fighting the system," Jackson points out, carefully spearing a carrot with his fork.

"It is when you're Ellis Grey's daughter-" Izzie begins, eyes rolling to the ceiling as Meredith finishes her sentence.

"Who has no intention whatsoever of pursuing medical law." April was surprised. Ellis Grey had been the preeminent medical malpractice lawyer of the past two decades; April somewhat remembers hearing about Ellis Grey representing some hospital or another on the national news even when she was a kid. Furthermore, April was pretty sure they were going to study a few of Ellis Grey's cases at some point during their tenure at Seattle Grace Law.

"Plus, there's all the stuff that I did while I was traveling across Europe..." Meredith continues.

"What did you do in Europe?" April asks in a hushed whisper.

Meredith tilts her head, considers April. "You can't handle what I did in Europe." Alex chortles at that, and George's eyes grow wide.

As it turns out, Meredith and Cristina had gone to college together and were best friends, and Meredith had met George when they worked together after graduation, who'd gone to college with Izzie, who was currently dating Alex. April was somewhat keeping track of the convoluted history… and kinda not, before they discussed potential specialties.

"Well, you're looking at a future Supreme Court justice, so soak it in before I'm too famous to talk to any of you," Cristina says brashly, taking a big sip of iced tea.

"Watch, you'll be one of the first to flame out," Alex smirks.

"Oh, Evil Spawn can speak now? And where were you this morning? Plucking up the courage to come here?" Alex opens his mouth to respond, but April interjects, because she does not enjoy conflict in any way shape or form. "What about you? What specialty are you thinking about?"

Alex turns to her, looking her up and down. "Business law all the way, specifically corporate."

"I'm planning on environmental law, but that could change," Izzie says with a shrug.

Jackson smiles. "Constitutional law." That's all he says, but like Cristina, he says it so confidently no one could doubt him. And while April envies his confidence, she can't help but wonder if those are his words or his grandfather's.

"Well, I'm thinking family law, or maybe media law, I'm not 100% sure yet. I mean, there's a lot to consider, isn't there? I hope once we've taken a few classes it'll be more clear." April says, and that's true. She would look at all the different specialties there were, and she'd be so conflicted. She knew hours were going to be crazy as a lawyer, whatever specialty you were, but she also knew that someday she'd want to have babies and be a mother; she wasn't sure which specialties were the most amenable to that.

April is interrupted from her train of thought as Webber steps forward again, clapping his hands excitedly. "Welcome, once again, and I hope you have enjoyed our little luncheon and your first day of orientation. Over the course of the next few days, our orientation sessions will continue to prep you for your first day of class. Before we depart, however, I'd like to introduce a special guest. Please join me in welcoming our visiting professor for the year, Derek Shepherd of the Montgomery & Shepherd law firm!" An extraordinarily handsome man strolled out, waving to the students and Meredith chokes on her water. April herself was flustered. He was going to be one of their professors this year? How was she supposed to concentrate? Jackson was abnormally handsome, but she'd spent enough time with him over the years to get used to it (she'd sometimes still be taken aback occasionally) and Karev has this roguish sort of charm about him. But this was different.

"Oh no. Oh no oh no oh no." Cristina starts cackling. "Isn't that the guy from last night?" she turns to Meredith, who is still coughing.

"Wait, you hooked up with him?" George's eyes grow wide once more, before shooting between Meredith and Shepherd.

"Nice, Mer. Shacking up with the professor. Now we know who won't be failing 1L," Alex laughs, before Izzie smacks him on the shoulder. April quells the disappointment which had slowly unfurled inside her. Just because Derek Shepherd had such dreamy eyes, and such fantastic hair… She glances over at Jackson, wondering how he's handling the sudden awkwardness at the table. His eyes meet hers, and they playfully widen, and April chuckles. That was another reason April was so glad they were doing this together. To have somebody to look at when things get awkward.

Webber continues, "Professor Shepherd will be teaching our 1L Legal Methods and Legal Practice Workshop classes in the fall, and will be teaching our Legal Practice Workshop II this spring. And, most excitingly, he will be leading our 1L Moot Court. Our competitive 1L Moot Court is where some of you will be gaining your first practical experience in a courtroom. Make the most of this opportunity," Webber advises, and murmurs break out through the hall, while Meredith slumps further in her seat.

"Derek Shepherd is one of the leading international law experts on the West coast, and he specializes in maritime law as well. We are very honored and proud to have him among our faculty this year," Webber finishes, turning to Shepherd. "Anything you'd like to add?"

Shepherd steps forward, smiling around the room, when his eyes catch on Meredith's. He gives a small chuckle, before saying, "I'm excited for this opportunity to share my expertise with each and everyone of you. Please feel free to ask me any questions during my office hours or during class. I look forward to working with you, and finally, I'd just like to say it's a beautiful day to practice law."

"He's amazing," April says dreamily, and Jackson turns to her with an amused smile.

"Looks like someone's got a crush," he says in a sing-song tone.

"Shut up," she whispers, smacking him on the arm. Ok, Derek Shepherd may be an incredibly respected, extremely smart lawyer who also happened to be one of their professors for the year and who also happens to be one of the most handsome men April has ever seen, but that doesn't mean she has a crush. It doesn't.

"So, have you seen anything good in the listings yet for a 2 bedroom?" April asks, trying to change the subject, as the luncheon ends and everyone starts gathering their belongings. Both she and Jackson had had to move out of their apartments they shared with Reed and Charles respectively; they were just too far from the law school to make sense in terms of the everyday commute. April and Jackson had looked at apartments individually, but hadn't found anything, and so were now looking together, and April was starting to get desperate.

"Nothing yet. It shouldn't be this hard," Jackson complains, sliding his phone into his pocket.

Meredith's gaze flits between April and Jackson, "You know, I have two rooms available to rent in my house, if you're interested. It's really close to campus, and it's a fair rent."

"Is there still room in that place?" Cristina asks, looking over with a smirk.

"Well, yeah, now that Alex and Izzie are sharing a room, and George is still in the attic- there's the room on the first floor, and the one on the second… if you're interested," Meredith says with a smile.

Jackson looks over at April, and she shrugs. "We'll come take a look at the place, but it sounds great so far," he says politely, before turning to leave with April. They walk out onto the courtyard, and the sun is shining; the brick of the campus looks gorgeous. April takes a deep breath in. This is what she'd been waiting for since junior year, when she ultimately decided she did want to go to law school.

"Are you sure you want to live with them? They seem a bit… crazy," April says, wrinkling her nose.

"I think it'll be fine. Plus, you know what they say- keep your friends close and your enemies closer," Jackson says with a smirk. "They're the competition, and their outlines would be in the same house as us, if we need to take a look."

April smiles up at him. "Your mind does work in devious ways."

"I'm an Avery. We're sharp like that."


	3. Chapter 3

August 30th

"Let me help you with that," Jackson smiles, reaching to grab one of April's boxes, and he's reminded of when they first met. They'd grown so much closer since then. At first, he'd thought she was weird. And now- well, he still thinks she's a bit weird. But Jackson had realized, the more you got to know April Kepner, the more likable she became. It just took some time.

He and April were currently moving their belongings into the big house on Queen Anne Hill, which as the highest hill in Seattle provided amazing views of the city, stretching to the Space Needle.

"Thanks. Do you want me to let your mom know that you're such a gentleman?"

Jackson laughs for a moment before he becomes worried. "Wait, you're not actually in contact with my mom, right?"

April's face freezes. "Of course not!"

Jackson's not sure whether to believe her or not, because April is not that great of a liar, and she's blushing slightly-

"Are you excited to move in?"

He sighs, letting her change the subject as they make their way onto Meredith Grey's porch. "Yeah, it'll be nice to be a bit settled in before classes officially start. And I mean, it really is so close to campus..." They walk through the door and April stops for a moment. Though they had already been moving stuff in throughout the day, she still stops and marvels.

"It really is a nice house, isn't it? It's so big," April says, gazing around the entryway. Jackson looks around too. He knows objectively that it could be considered a big house. However, growing up back in Weston, one of the most affluent suburbs of Boston, and spending summers at Hyannis Port, the Avery family manse, meant sometimes Jackson wasn't quite aware what was considered a big house or not. But he was learning.

He and April set their boxes down at the bottom of the stairs, before making their way to the kitchen. There's already a cacophony of sound, as Izzie is baking, while George rants about something to her.

"-and what's up with his hair? I mean, how much hair product do you think the guy uses? A whole bottle every day or two?"

Jackson bites his lip to keep from laughing, but beside him, April looks miffed. He knows April well enough to tell that she has a crush on Derek Shepherd after only a few days of orientation, and he can't resist teasing her.

"I'm not sure, April, what do you think? One bottle or two?" George whips his head around, realizing that he and Izzie weren't alone, and Izzie starts laughing as she continually stirs the batter in an even motion. April tucks a curl of her red hair behind her ear to glare at Jackson, but he only tilts his head and smiles.

"Are you guys hungry? I've baked…" Izzie quickly gazes around the kitchen. "Approximately 72 cupcakes."

"Um… thanks? But we're actually going to head out after we finish moving our stuff in," April gestures over to Jackson. They had plans with Reed and Charles for a celebratory dinner before their first day. "But if you don't mind me asking, why are you making so many cupcakes?"

"I'm baking because I'm anxious. Expect a good amount of pie around finals."

"And they're very good pies. Blue ribbon pies," George says.

"I believe you," Jackson replies, smiling. Just then, Alex strides in, giving Izzie a kiss on the cheek.

"Her cupcakes are all for me," Alex says cockily, and both April and George's noses scrunch up.

"Oh, gross," George groans, placing his head on the counter.

Later on, Jackson and April sit at one of their favorite Seattle restaurants laughing with Reed and Charles over small plates.

"Aw, don't worry Charlie, you'll figure it out. Not everyone can be a badass med student or a badass law student," Reed was saying in response to Charles' latest complaints about his boss.

"Architecture can be badass. It can be sexy. Girls like architects," Charles says defensively, looking around the table. Reed and Jackson burst out laughing, but April tries to nod sympathetically through her own giggles.

"Sure they do, Charles. Sure they do."

"How are they? Your new classmates? And your new roommates?" Reed asks.

"I still can't believe you guys betrayed us like this…" Charles shakes his head.

Jackson takes a sip of his beer. "The women? Top notch. The guys? Nothing to write home about." April scoffs.

"George is cute. In the boy next door way," April explains primarily to Reed, as if she can already tell that both Jackson and Charles have no interest in this conversation. "And Alex is… well, he doesn't seem like that nice a guy. But he's… attractive," she finally finishes. "He's hot," she adds in a quick whisper.

"Anyone in particular you've got your eye on?" Charles asks Jackson.

"Well, April here thinks one of our visiting professors walks on water… but he's got something going on with our landlord, Meredith, and Izzie? She's hot, but she's with Alex," Jackson says before taking a bite of bruschetta. "Cristina Yang though…" Jackson glances over at April.

"She's single, right?"

"Cristina Yang will eat you alive. Don't go there," April advises.

"I might enjoy that though," Jackson says, wiggling his eyebrows as Reed groans and Charles gives him a high-five. Carefully setting down her silverware, April promptly smacks Jackson on the back of the head, causing Reed and Charles to break out in laughter.

"Ow!"

"Ugh. Don't be gross."

"Anyway," Jackson continues, rubbing the back of his head and staring at April resentfully. "In terms of classes… there might be a few contenders."

"I mean, Meredith Grey is in our year, and even in our section," April says in an awed tone, leaning forward.

"And she's the landlord?" Reed asks, and April nods her head in confirmation.

"She matters because… what? Are we supposed to know what that means?" Charles asks.

"Her mom was a pretty big medical malpractice lawyer, though-" April looks over at Jackson.

"It's been, what, 5 years since Ellis Grey actually practiced law?"

Jackson nods. "Give or take a couple years. And she hasn't turned to teaching or anything, she just kinda… fell off the map. But before that, you remember that one Anderson case? Where the family sued Seattle Presbyterian in a wrongful death suit?"

"Yeah," Reed replies. She's familiar enough with the hospital scene in Seattle to remember such a big case.

"I don't memorize tragic lawsuits like you three," Charles says wryly.

"Anyway, the hospital was being sued for millions, and everyone thought it would be found guilty. But Ellis Grey got them off- she essentially saved the hospital from going under." Jackson finishes his story with a tip of his beer.

"Ok, so this Meredith Grey is the daughter of some big deal," Reed starts, turning to look at Jackson. "Do they know about your own big deal family?"

"Nope!" April says with a popping sound. Jackson rolls his eyes.

"Dude, how many Averys are in law?" Charles asks. "And, I mean, I don't know much about the law, or whatever, but when I found out your grandfather had been the United States Attorney General, I mean- he was on the President's cabinet. That's a pretty big deal"

"It's- it's not that big a deal. Avery is just my last name, I'm doing this on my own." Jackson says defensively. This is precisely why he doesn't want his classmates to know about his grandfather or his family. If Charles is acting like this, how would the people who worship the law react? Jackson can feel April's eyes on him.

"Then there's Cristina, who is without a doubt a shark," April interjects, and Jackson's grateful that she changed the subject. "And Alex seems like he could be sort of vicious."

"Well, I'm sure you guys can take them all." Reed clears her throat. "Anyway, I'd like to propose a toast." They all just stare at her for a moment before Reed forcefully repeats herself. "I said I'm proposing a toast!" They quickly raise their drinks.

"To April and Jackson…" Reed begins, smiling at both of them. "Go forth and become kickass lawyers."

"To April and Jackson!" Charles says, and his glass hits April's with a hard clink. Jackson toasts April, smiling at her. They were going to do this.

September 1st

Jackson Avery was not a morning person. He knew he was a flawed man; nobody was perfect after all, and this was one of his flaws. He has a slightly unhealthy obsession with sneakers, hoodies, and the Boston Celtics; he could not be filmed without emitting a nervous giggle; and he was not a morning person. He really didn't want to get up this morning, but he knew he had to. Jackson was about to begin his first day of classes as a law student, and he wasn't going to screw this up. Rubbing his face tiredly, he grabs his beeping, insistent cell phone to turn off the alarm, but not before he sees that there's a text message from his mother. As if he didn't know exactly what he was embarking on, exactly the kind of pressure Jackson was facing, pursuing law. Half his family expected him to do it, and not just be a lawyer; they expected greatness from him. That included his mother and grandfather. The other half of his family- well, they didn't expect anything from him, of him, at all. And sometimes Jackson wasn't sure which was worse.

Growing up in a family filled with accomplished people was both a blessing and a curse. His mother was head of the Harper Avery Foundation, the charitable branch that worked alongside Avery & Associates, the law firm his grandfather had founded decades ago. Jackson's father had worked at Avery & Associates, until- well, until he didn't. William Avery left Catherine and Jackson when Jackson was only 2, so Jackson never knew him. William Avery couldn't handle the pressure of being an Avery. Harper had tried to prepare his son for success, but instead found his daughter-in-law had the true grit required to be an Avery, and Jackson wanted to prove that he was nothing like his father; he could handle the pressure.

However, just because Jackson wanted to prove he could handle the pressure of being an Avery in law didn't mean he wanted to do it with the onus of his family's name hanging over him. In fact, that was one of the reasons he had decided to go to Seattle Grace Law. He'd been to four other interviews with prestigious schools with exciting programs. Jackson had turned on the charm, had prepped so much for these interviews- and all of them ended with the interviewer excitedly asking if his grandfather would ever be interested in giving a lecture, or if after graduation the Harper Avery Foundation would like to establish an endowment in his name.

Webber, on the other hand, didn't mention his family at all at first. He'd only asked him why he actually wanted to study law. Webber had looked down at Jackson's application from beneath his glasses, before taking them off and crossing his arms.

"Do you mind if I ask you a personal question?" Jackson steeled himself for the inevitable. Would your grandfather be interested in a round of golf anytime soon? Webber continues, "I know all about your family- your mother and I have worked together on a case in the past, and of course everyone knows who your grandfather is. But I have a simple question for you. Why are you here? Why are you applying to law school at all? Here at Seattle Grace, we won't coddle you because of your name."

Jackson had been taken aback, but took a moment to ponder his answer. "I… I believe in the law. I believe that having the ability to write and draft legislation to make the world a better place is a gift. I believe that without laws, our society would instead be anarchy. I believe in democracy, and the law is our foundation for that democracy. I'm not pursuing law because of my family," Jackson continues, and he's self-aware enough to know that's both the truth and a lie. "I'm pursuing law because I know I'm capable and I want to. I want this," He finishes fervently.

Webber had smiled and didn't mention his family for the rest of the interview. And that's when Jackson knew he wanted to go to the Seattle Grace University School of Law.

So this… this is a big day. Even Jackson can acknowledge that. He gets up to go shower, grabbing a towel, weaving pass George and Alex as they make their way to the kitchen. Turning around, Jackson can see April is already in there, preparing her coffee and making breakfast. She always was an early riser, Jackson muses. When Izzie makes her down the stairs as well, hair still drying, Jackson narrows his eyes. Oh no.

By the time he makes it to the bathroom, Jackson's suspicions are confirmed: all the others have already showered, and there's no more hot water.

Of course. Jackson's first day of law school is off to an inauspicious start.

They're sitting in the auditorium, chatting amongst themselves. Meredith and Cristina are discussing something in low tones, but all Jackson can hear is snippets that include the word "McDreamy." Shaking his head in confusion, he turns to April, but she's tapping her pen repeatedly against her knee nervously. He's nervous, too, but Jackson knows he can't let any weaknesses show. Once people find out he's an Avery, they'll be looking for them.

Suddenly, a short woman wearing very high heels strides with a purpose into the classroom, and all the students fall silent. "Good morning, everyone. I'm Miranda Bailey, your Civil Procedure professor. In this class, you will be examining the fundamental aspects of the civil litigation process in the United States. These are your A, B, Cs, people. Don't screw it up. Now-" A melodic buzz fills the auditorium, causing murmurs to break out. Bailey's eyes narrowed in on the offending party, who quickly shuffles, trying to turn his phone off. She slowly walks closer to the seats.

"I have five rules for my class. Remember them and you just might survive. Rule number one? No cell phones." And Jackson is pretty sure if looks could kill, there'd be a pile of dust in the 5th row. He sits up straighter, focusing even more.

"Don't bother trying to suck up to me. That'll just piss me off," Bailey says, and Jackson can see in his periphery that April's taken aback by Bailey's candor, and he can't hide a grin.

"Next, as for your reading. Do it. Read your readings! If you don't…" Bailey walks across the front of the classroom, and everyone's eyes follow her as she clucks her tongue. "Well, that'll make me angry."

"And you won't like her when she's angry," Alex jokes under his breath, and Jackson stifles a laugh.

"You'll be wasting my time and yours," Bailey continues. "You're taking spots away all the sad little folks who couldn't get accepted to Seattle Grace Law. If you don't do your reading, I'll be thinking of those poor people and how they wouldn't have wasted my time. I'll be thinking how much I wish they were the ones sitting in my classroom instead of you. And I'll know if you have or haven't done the reading. Trust me," Bailey says, gazing around the classroom. "I'll know. You will be graded primarily on your final exam. And when someone says final, what does that mean? Anyone?"

There's silence for a moment.

"Oh, come on, people. Final means final. So, if you're not happy with your grade, don't come whining or complaining to me. Study for this, work for this, and you won't have anything to complain about. So, to begin, there are three types of jurisdiction in state courts…" The class is still staring at Bailey in rapt attention, and she exclaims, "Stop looking at me and start taking notes!" Jackson fumbles to wake up his laptop. This was going to be a long semester- scratch that, a long three years.

"Bailey's terrifying," April says, shell-shocked, as she leaves the auditorium with Jackson and the others. They had just gotten out of their last class for the day, and while their other professor that day, Nelson, was smart, he was mostly just… there. He had nothing on Bailey.

"She's badass," Jackson muses instead, smiling. Being raised by a fierce, hard-working mother gave Jackson a healthy appreciation of strong women.

"Well, yes, she's badass, but…" April bites her lip nervously.

"She's terrifying," George finishes for her. He'd been cold-called that day, and it was obvious to everyone he didn't enjoy the experience.

"My brain is so full right now. It's amazing," Cristina says, and she kinda sounds like a drug addict who just reached a whole new high.

"That forced curve is awful. Only 5% of us will get As? Oh God," April says in a distraught voice.

The seven of them stand in silence for a moment. The sunshine of the week before is gone, and the typical grey Seattle sky has returned.

"So there's a bar across the street that I highly recommend," Meredith says, glancing at the others. "Wanna go?"

Alex exhales as he starts walking, grabbing Izzie's hand and pulling her along. "Screw it, let's go."


	4. Chapter 4

Meredith Grey was a person who usually kept her cards close to her chest. Well, at least she tried to. Due to the intricate nature of her friend's relationships with one another, everybody inevitably knew everyone else's business. Even so, right now she really only had one person with whom she'd willingly share her secrets. But Meredith was okay with that.

"How's your mom?" Cristina asks in a low tone. They are waiting for their Legal Methods class to begin Derek Shepherd's class to begin, but Meredith had gotten a call early that morning about her mom. Ellis Grey, the much-lauded medical and healthcare lawyer, had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's two years prior. One of the greatest and most respected legal minds of her generation, Ellis had continually pushed her daughter to be the best, to be extraordinary, and now that Meredith is attending her mother's alma mater, Ellis isn't even cognizant of the fact.

"It hasn't been a good few days," Meredith murmurs, and that's an understatement. Ellis thought Meredith was a paralegal, and kept expecting her to bring in case files. And so after a hard day spending time with her mother, and trying to get everything ready for her first day of law school orientation, when Meredith met a very attractive man in a bar, she just wanted to be a girl in a bar. She didn't want to be Ellis Grey's daughter and she didn't want to be worried about starting 1L. She was just a girl. And he was just a guy. But of course, Murphy's Law existed, and so everything that could go wrong, did. At least in Meredith Grey's life. She wasn't just a girl, and the guy wasn't just a guy; he was Derek Shepherd of the Montgomery & Shepherd law firm, which he had founded with his wife, Addison Montgomery. Her "just a guy" is her married professor. Typical.

Derek Shepherd strolls into the classroom, and he's wearing a tie and shirt under a sweater, smiling at everyone. "Good morning!"

"Ugh, does he have to be so cheery?" Cristina says under her breath to Meredith. Meredith knows Cristina is still excited that Derek Shepherd is teaching one of their classes, but Meredith appreciates the support.

"Now, I know all of you are eager to learn, and, well, I'm eager to teach. This Legal Methods class is relatively new to Seattle Grace Law. It's a three week intensive at the start of the semester, preparing you for all of your other classes both this semester and the next. Once Legal Methods is concluded, your other classes will become more intense. I'll be teaching more specialty classes to the second and third years, but the brass wanted me to have a chance to work with you first years as well," Derek says, looking around the classroom at each of them. "At Seattle Grace, it's important to continually look for new ways to innovate our approach to law. While the legal field is based in tradition, lawyers don't have to be stuck in the past. Furthermore, as Dean Webber mentioned in his convocation, I will be taking you through your first experience with Competitive Moot Court. Now, who's ready to get started?"

The class murmurs a few yeses here and there.

Derek cocks his head, glancing around the room. "Ok, so now I know you aren't morning people. Good to know," he says, eliciting chuckles.

After class, Meredith quickly gathers her belongings. Derek had spent the last two hours detailing the different approaches to legal thinking, and how effective they would be in their various classes, from Contracts to Constitutional Law which awaited them in the spring. These research and analytical skills would serve them throughout their years in law school and beyond. By the end of period, April Kepner was not the only one leaning forward excitedly.

Meredith could already tell that he was going to be a good professor, which- which was just annoying on multiple levels. She can feel Cristina and George's concerned gazes on her, so she quickly brushes past April and Jackson, who are talking about how excited they are for moot court with Shepherd in the spring, and the pair look up startled. Meredith walks out of the classroom and down an empty stairwell, away from the sound of students leaving their classes, before she pauses to take a deep breath and close her eyes. All the tension of the past few weeks, from the stress whenever she visits her mother, to the new pressure of law school, was just piling on her shoulders. The sudden sound of the stairwell door opening startles her, and she jerks up from her position leaning against the wall. It was Derek, with his tousled dark hair, and she just could not deal with him right now.

They stare at one another for a moment before Meredith keeps walking down the stairs. "Fine. I'll be the one to go," she says, angling her body to move past him, and she's aware of his body and the memory of how it had felt over hers, and she hates it.

"Listen, Meredith, wait-" Derek reaches a hand out, lightly touching her elbow, and she jerks it away.

"No! You're married. You're my professor. You are my married professor, so right now, I have nothing to say to you." Meredith states definitively, turning to leave the stairwell. At the door, she looks back for a moment, and Derek is smiling half-amusedly and his blue eyes are looking at her in such an intimate manner…

"And don't look at me like that!"

"Like what?"

"Like you've seen me naked."

"But I have seen you naked," Derek points out with a charming smile.

"I know that, but stop anyway! I refuse to be the dirty mistress!"

"Meredith… I'm getting divorced." This stops Meredith in her tracks, and she looks back at Derek.

"You're what?"

"I'm getting divorced. Right now, Addison and I are focused on dividing up our assets. I'm not too concerned with our monetary assets or the real estate, but the firm is… it's more complicated. But I'm getting a divorce, so you're not the other woman. You're not," Derek finishes.

"Yes, but I am your student." And with that, Derek's face falls. Even with his apparent divorce, Meredith can't risk this connection with her professor jeopardizing her career. 1L is too important.

"Yes, you are."

"So we can't do this. I can't see you, and you can't look at me like you've seen me naked, even if you have. All right?"

Derek stares at Meredith for another moment, before saying quietly, "All right." And when Meredith finally leaves, the resounding slam of the door closing behind her keeps repeating in her mind.

"Listen… I did the whole dating a professor thing," Cristina says. She and Meredith are strolling through the law school library, perusing the material. Cristina had had the idea to check out any books they thought were going to be important later in the semester, and just keep renewing them so other people couldn't read them. With Cristina's words, Meredith is reminded of their political science professor Preston Burke. They had been in the spring of their senior year of college when Cristina began dating the then assistant professor, after having a class with him in the fall. While it was frowned upon, it wasn't technically against the rules. Cristina and Burke's relationship was complicated, and if Meredith Grey, whose life was constantly in upheaval, thought their relationship was complicated? It was. And when Cristina became pregnant with Burke's baby right after graduation, Meredith was the one by her side at the abortion clinic. Burke and Cristina broke up soon after.

"I wasn't with Burke because he was my professor, I wasn't with him to get good recommendations for law school, and if you want to be with McDreamy, it wouldn't be because he's your professor. Any idiot would know that," Cristina says with a scoff, and Meredith appreciates the fact that Cristina can put aside her competitive tendencies and be Meredith's person.

But right now, Meredith really doesn't want to think about this, or talk about this, so she changes the subject. "How's Owen? Is he back from base?" Owen Hunt had served in the Judge Advocate General Corps for the past three years. Hunt, as both an Army officer and a lawyer, provided legal services to the army but now he was returning to Seattle. Owen had been offered the opportunity to serve as an Assistant US Attorney in Seattle. He and Cristina had gone out a couple times before he was called into duty, and Meredith still wasn't sure exactly what their status was.

"Not yet. He's scheduled to arrive in a couple weeks," Cristina says, shifting her gaze back to the row of books lining the shelves.

"You don't want to talk about it, about him." Meredith says; she doesn't need to ask.

"No, I don't."

"Ok, so we're not gonna be talk about boys anymore. We're going to focus on passing all of our classes, and we're going to be at the top of class by the end of the year. Ok?" Meredith turns to Cristina, a firm look on her face.

Cristina nods her head. "Damn right we are. Well, I'll be first, and you can be second in the rankings. So, how are the new roommates?"

"Well, April is nice. Maybe too nice," Meredith says, not needing to say anymore. After all, she and Cristina had earned the nickname and reputation of "The Twisted Sisters" in college. "And she's a bit uptight from what I can tell. Jackson is nice, as well, but he also seems to be pretty arrogant." And even though Cristina is her person, the one person Meredith tells all her secrets to, she decides not to make mention of the fact that Jackson Avery is the grandson of the legendary Harper Avery. She knows what it's like, being related to a phenom, and if Jackson doesn't want that information to get out yet, that's his prerogative. Jackson hadn't said anything to Meredith about his family, but growing up in Boston as Ellis Grey's daughter meant knowing the who's who's of prominent attorneys, and the Boston Averys? They were the elite. In fact, Meredith is pretty sure she met Jackson once at some function her mother dragged her to ages ago. When Meredith was going through her punk phase, Ellis stopped bringing her along.

"Well, we can fix that," Cristina says with a smirk. "When Pretty Boy is ranked below us by the end of 1L, his cockiness should drop a couple notches."

Meredith laughs. "If I was attracted to women, I'd marry you in a heartbeat. We'd be the most incredible married lawyers."

"It's true, we would. And I would marry me too."

Only two weeks had passed and the workload was already starting to get to the first years. The amount of reading they had to do for each of their classes was staggering. While each of them had been near the top of their class in undergrad, this was a whole other level. They were all terrified of being cold-called in class and not knowing the answer, including Alex, not that he'd ever admit it. He'd gotten through college on a wrestling scholarship, and still had a helluva lot of student loans to pay off. He couldn't afford to screw this up- literally. And so as the pressure mounted for everyone, Meredith's house was continually filled with tension.

"I didn't know one person's voice could be so annoying," Alex grates one morning after overhearing April and Jackson discuss one of the recent cases they had learned about in class over breakfast. He hadn't had his coffee yet, and Kepner's perky ramblings were starting to get to him. "Do you have to pay people to listen to you speak?" Startled, April looks down in hurt embarrassment, her cheeks growing red, and Jackson's eyes narrow.

"Shut up, Karev," Jackson punches Alex on the shoulder, and while Alex considers himself a tough guy (you don't become one of the winningest wrestlers in the Big Ten conference without being tough), he can admit to himself that it hurt.

"Jesus, what's your problem?"

Jackson is still glaring at him, and April's eyes seem a bit watery as she gets up from the table. "I- I have to go get my notes together before we go. I'll be right back," she says before rushing out of the kitchen. Jackson's eyes remain on the empty doorway for a moment before he resumes his glare.

"What?" Alex asks defensively. "Are you telling me that you don't find her voice annoying at all?"

Jackson sighs. "Do you want me to punch you again?"

"Not particularly," Alex shrugs. Alex's shoulder still twinges as he considers Avery and his muscles. "Were you an athlete?"

"Varsity three years in high school for football, basketball, and lacrosse, and I played college football. Safety and wide receiver," Jackson finishes with a confident smirk as Alex's mouth starts to open, as if he knew what he was going to ask. Jackson's not entirely sure what to think of Karev. They had for the most part not talked to each other, as Alex had been wrapped up with Izzie.

"Figures. Lacrosse is a rich kid's sport," Alex grumbles, putting his cereal bowl haphazardly in the sink as Jackson rolls his eyes.

"So, are you and Kepner banging?" Alex asks, walking back towards the table.

Jackson laughs. "Where did that come from?"

"I'm curious. Most guys only defend a girl like that if they're related or they're together, and you and Kepner aren't secretly brother and sister, right?"

"Me and April?" Jackson smiles, teeth glinting. "We're friends. That's all."

Alex looks skeptical for a moment. "Whatever you say. Anyway, did you hear about what happened in the Bears-Vikings game?" And with that, their previous animosity fades away as they start talking about sports. Alex still isn't quite sure what he thinks of the pretty boy, but now at least he knew Jackson would be good to watch a game with, which is more than Alex can say about O'Malley.

"My voice isn't that annoying, right?" April is on the phone with Reed as she prepares her bag for class in her room. Alex's words were bothering April like an annoying, painful itch on your back that you just can't reach. She appreciated Jackson defending her, even as she could tell he was growing closer to their roommates than she was. And so, while they are both busy with law school and med school, April is trying to maintain her friendship with Reed. She had never really had truly close friends before. In high school, she had focused on her studies and 4H, and while that was great when college applications came rolling up, the rest of the time? Let's just say April was never in contention for Prom Queen.

"No, it's cute. Well, at first, it could be a little annoying…" Reed's voice trails off over the phone. "But it grows on you. Over time."

April freezes in the middle of putting her planner in her bag. "Hey!"

"I'm just being honest!" Reed replies defensively. April shakes her head. While she has gotten used to Reed's candor, that too took some time to get used to.

"What's really going on, April?" Reed's concerned voice echoes from the phone.

"It's just- I'm not fitting in very well here, and the classes are hard," April's voice is low.

"Well, that's to be expected. You're in a transition period. So you'll transition, and everything will be fine. How's Jackson doing?"

"Oh, Jackson? He's great. He's fantastic. He's- ok, well for classes, he's also struggling a bit. But he's being his charming self and getting along with people, so there you go." April replies sullenly.

"And that's a bad thing?"

"No, it's not a bad thing, I'm just..." She falters and starts again. "I'm scared I'm going to be left behind, Reed."

"April, I'm sure that's not going to happen. Jackson is... Jackson. He can be shallow sometimes, but he's a good friend. He's our friend. He is. And even if he does get wrapped up in all this new stuff, you've got me. Always." April smiles. This isn't the first time she's thanked God for randomly assigning her to be Reed's roommate.

"Hey April, Meredith, Izzie, and I are going to study at the library this afternoon, if you'd like to come?" George peeks his head into her room, and April turns, her phone still pressed to her ear, and George's eyes widen at the sight. "Shoot, sorry," He says, backing down the hallway. April shakes her head, pressing her phone against her shoulder.

"No, it's fine, George, I'd... I'd love to come." And with that, April thinks that she's not going to be the only one left behind. She can find her way here too, even if it's through sheer will and her friendship with George O'Malley.

"We are throwing a party," Izzie declares. She, Meredith, George, and April are sitting in the library, working on their Contracts outlines. When Izzie had invited George and Meredith to study, she hadn't known George was going to invite April as well. Izzie was starting to suspect that her best friend was developing a little crush on the red-haired law student, and if he did? Well, it would be a lot healthier than his infatuation with Meredith Grey. The others look up in confusion. "At our place. There'll be drinks, and dancing, and it'll be fun."

A second year shushes them with a glare.

"Shh! See, I can shush people too. How do you like that?" Izzie hisses back.

"Focus, Izzie- we're throwing a party?" Meredith asks warily.

"Yes, I've decided. It'll be a good way to get to know other people in our year, and it'll be fun. We'll have fun." Meredith still looks doubtful, and Izzie says once again, this time in a more firm tone, "We will have fun, I promise."

Meredith's phone rings then, startling the group. A tense look appears on Meredith's face, her brows drawn and her lips pursed, before she excuses herself. George stares after her for a moment, before asking Izzie, "Do you know what that was about?"

"Can Jackson and I invite our friends Reed and Charles?" April asks. She never was the biggest party-goer, but between Jackson and the others, she'd feel a lot more comfortable in that setting with her friends there as well.

"Um…" Izzie hesitates, staring at Meredith's retreating back. "Sure! The more the merrier."

"Well, you did say the more the merrier," George says in an aside to Izzie. "Meredith's going to freak out."

"She won't freak out, right? I mean, she knew we were having a party…" Izzie looks around the house.

"No, she's going to freak out," Alex chuckles, taking a big sip of his Heineken. George, Izzie, and Alex are standing in the living room, surrounded by law students and other random Seattle Grace students. April and Jackson were standing next to a petite girl with short hair, and a tall dark-haired guy, laughing over drinks. "And she'll be pissed at you specifically."

"I was trying to do something nice for all of us. What has been up with you lately?" Izzie is tired of Alex's attitude; he has a tendency to lash out when he's stressed or upset about something, she knows this, but they were all stressed. It was 1L, it kind of came with the territory. But you didn't see her making other people feel uncomfortable.

"I'm going to get another drink!" George shouts over the music, eager to get away from the sudden awkwardness.

"No, stay George. You don't need to leave," Izzie begins, but she can hear the sound of the door opening even over the music.

"Izzie! Who are all these people?" Meredith exclaims from the doorway, her bag hanging limply over her shoulder as she looks past Alex and Izzie, gazing around her house. The bass of the speakers is thrumming, and people Meredith has never seen before in her life congregate in her living room, her entry way...

"Meredith! Hey! Well, you knew we were going to throw a party, and well- there's our section, and the first years, second years, and third years too…" Izzie trails off. "And apparently some masters students heard about it, and they wanted to come, and some med students?..." Izzie trails off at the look on Meredith's face. "And April invited some of her and Jackson's friends, so, if you want to blame someone… I'd look at her." Meredith sighs, brushing her bangs off her face. After awkwardly encountering Derek in yet another stairwell, and even more calls from her mother's extended care facility, Roseridge, she had hoped to come home to some peace and quiet, as she forgot about Izzie's party.

"She basically invited all of Seattle," Alex retorts. Meredith's brow creases in response to the tone. She knows Alex well enough that something's up with him beyond his usual sarcasm.

"Here, I'll pour you a shot," George leads Meredith across the living room, making his way to the makeshift bar that had been created at the beginning of the night, reaching back for a glass. "Trust me, you don't want to be in the middle of that." Meredith strides forward, grabbing the tequila bottle, taking a big sip from the bottle. "Or, you can drink from the bottle. That's cool."

"It's been that kind of day, George," Meredith says, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "It's been that kind of day."

"So, you were kind of amazing in class today," Jackson says. He's tipsy, he's still aware enough to recognize that, but he's had a rough day, and Cristina's looking hot as they stand in a corner of the upstairs hallway. Charles had wanted to take a closer look at the crown moldings; as he drunkenly declared, "This house is a gem!" He's such a nerd, Jackson thinks affectionately, and Reed and April were still chatting downstairs. They were discussing Jackson's grandfather had called him that afternoon, telling Jackson that he planned to come visit him in Seattle soon, and while he ultimately loved his grandfather, Jackson wasn't looking forward to Harper potentially meeting his new classmates, or Harper's lectures about his future.

"I know I was," Cristina flips her hair back, bringing Jackson back to the moment. That kind of shameless self-confidence always gets him going.

He reaches one hand up, brushes a dark curl of hair behind Cristina's ear. Cristina is staring off, and when Jackson leans forward, brushing his lips against hers, once, twice, she doesn't immediately push him away. Jackson's hands settle on her waist, gripping her firmly, before Cristina breaks the kiss.

"I have someone. I have someone and I have a situation, so I can't be doing this," Cristina says abruptly, brushing past Jackson.

Jackson leans back, turning his head to follow Cristina's retreating back. "What the hell just happened?"

"I kissed her, but she said she's got someone and a situation. That's what exactly what she said. What does that even mean?" Jackson stands next to April, taking another sip of his beer. The party is still raging on, and the living room is packed with people, the crush of bodies making the room very warm.

April lifts her head up to peer directly into Jackson's eyes. She occasionally had had a drink while out with Reed and the others, but she's never been this drunk before. Reed had mixed drink after drink for April earlier in the night, telling April that she needed to lighten up. But then Reed met one of the second years from Seattle Grace Law, and April had found herself alone next to the bar.

"I have no idea what that means," April begins, her eyes wide, "But didn't I tell you? Did I not tell you not to go there?" She punctuates each word with a flailing hand hitting Jackson's shoulder, and he holds up his band to bat her off.

"I know, I know, ok?" he says exasperatedly. He admired Cristina's intelligence, and she was beautiful and sharp, but he didn't have any deep feelings for her. Still, it was never fun to be rejected. Jackson sighs. "Hey, I've still got you though, right?"

April laughs, staring up at Jackson affectionately, her formerly combative hands now patting him on his cheek. Jackson had noticed April had been feeling a little off lately, so he was glad she seemed to be feeling better. "Yeah, you've still got me." Just then, another song is queued up, and the thrumming beat spreads throughout the room. "I love this song!" April squeals excitedly, grabbing Jackson's hand and bringing him out on the dance floor as he trails bemusedly aftert her. I'm pretty sure April has never heard this song before in her life, Jackson thinks, smiling. April usually isn't a big drinker, and Jackson usually isn't a dancer. He knows he kinda sucks at dancing, so he doesn't like doing it in public. But right now, the music is pumping loudly and April's drunk, and when she starts singing along to the music and dancing, Jackson laughs again and starts dancing with her. "Will you tell me once again, how we're going to be just friends…" April sings. And Jackson's still laughing as he looks up and sees George joining Meredith and Cristina on the table. While Jackson has had his own share of being in the middle of two beautiful women, he's pretty sure this is O'Malley's first time. He can see from the corner of his eye that Izzie and Alex are arguing about something, and Charles is pouting in the corner as Reed flirts with some guy, but right now, he doesn't want to worry about any of that.

"Then I guess you can hang with me!" April finishes, singing little too loudly, her eyes sparkling, and while Jackson knows they're both going to regret tonight due to the massive hangovers that await them in the morning, and he knows that Cristina Yang and him were never going to happen, and 1L is still kicking his ass, and his family is crazy… But right now? Tipsy and laughing and dancing with April? He doesn't feel worried about a thing. In fact, at this moment in time, everything feels right.


End file.
